Now you can learn the easy, practical system for “listening” and “talking” to horses in their language instead of expecting them to comprehend ours! Following up her international bestselling book HORSE SPEAK and spring 2018’s HORSES IN TRANSLATION, Sharon Wilsie has teamed up with Trafalgar Square Books to bring you her first instructional video program. HORSE SPEAK: FIRST CONVERSATIONS shows in real time how Horse Speak™ can be used by any individual who works with horses, whether riding instructor, colt starter, recreational rider, or avid competitor. It promises improved understanding of what a horse is telling you, as well as providing simple replies you can use to tell him that you “hear” him, you “get it,” and you have ideas you want to share with him, too.

» Illuminating case studies of three different horses with contrasting personality types and communication styles.

» Outstanding definitions, descriptions, and highlights to help identify specific aspects of the horse’s language.

Horse Speak is “a landmark achievement along a path that will lead our kind toward greater compassion for our fellow sentient beings,” says Sy Montgomery, author of the New York Times Bestseller The Soul of an Octopus, How to Be a Good Creature, and The Good Good Pig.

“Sharon Wilsie continues to turn the world of horse whispering on its hooves,” notes Catskill Horse Magazine.

It seems like after decades in the horse industry, all of a sudden, everyone is talking about fascia. This is that thin sheath of fibrous tissue that encloses the muscles and other organs, and apparently, it is really pretty important to your horse’s posture, movement, comfort, and performance. Huh. If you’re like us, all these years of riding and horse care and various bodywork therapies, and you haven’t given fascia a thought, right? Well, now is the time to acquire a whole new awareness of your horse’s body and how you can keep it happy and healthy.

We caught up with TSB author Margret Henkels, founder of Conformation Balancing, her method of fascia fitness for horses, and author of the book and DVD IS YOUR HORSE 100%? She brought us up to speed with how easy it can be to positively affect the horse’s fascia…and shared a few of the secrets that keep her going, too!

TSB: Your book and DVD IS YOUR HORSE 100%? were published in 2017. They explain your method of bodywork targeting the horse’s fascia, which anyone can do. Why do you feel fascia fitness is important to horse and rider? How can your method of bodywork help horses with “problems”?

MH: Fascia (sometimes called myofascia), or connective tissue, is an amazing tissue. When it’s healthy, it’s full of light and free movement…when it’s stiff, it’s rigid and painful. Nearly every horse experiences strain. Stuck fascia is a huge problem for a free-moving, master athlete like a horse. These dark stuck areas ruin their free movement and create a fearful mental state. Fascia is the only tissue that also “holds” emotional trauma, due to its unique properties. When a rider “melts” a hard, stiff area on their horse with their hands, this action also releases emotional anxiety related to that limit. This is a miracle for the horse! They become very grateful to us for this relief. Riders win and keep the trust of their horse with this work. Also, the rider understands her horse much better. Limits are now recognized as physical issues, not refusals. It’s an amazing new way to relate to horses and riding.

TSB: You first became interested in fascia and how it can be influenced when you had your own physical compensations and adhesions addressed by a bodyworker. How is fascia work for horses similar to that for humans? How does it differ?

MH: Horses and humans both feel much better with flowing fitness. Humans entertain themselves with distractions and diversions, but horses live in constant fear and anxiety if they aren’t fit. Humans often medicate the discomfort. Horses constantly fear a predator will get them. Humans might feel limited by poor fitness, but horses feel very unsafe and judged against.

TSB: What is one lesson you hope readers will take away from your book and DVD?

MH: Fascia is astonishing in its self-intelligence, and it is easy to effect huge, progressive, balancing advances from difficult, stuck, and unhappy situations.

Margret Henkels demonstrating how to “melt” the fascia at Equine Affaire in MA, 2017.

TSB: If you were trapped on a desert island with a horse and a book, what breed of horse would it be and which book would you choose?

The way we watch our favorite television shows and movies is changing—we want access to the programming we love where and when it works in our busy lives. Nothing could be truer for the active horseperson: Whether we want to illustrate a point for a student on our smartphones, cue up a training video on the tack room television on a rainy afternoon, or enjoy a horse movie on our tablets when traveling to a show, having viewing choices literally at our fingertips and a link-click away is not a luxury anymore—it’s what we all expect.

Trafalgar Square Books believes that equestrian education and entertainment should evolve in order to maintain its necessary place in each of our horsemanship journeys, so we are pleased to announce the first online streaming programs now available from our expansive video library. Beginning with six of our bestselling videos and gradually growing to include the other popular titles we produce and distribute, we hope to continue to be able to offer accessible, quality information about horse care, training, and riding to all those seeking knowledge and looking to improve not only their skillsets, but also their connection with horses.

Visit TSB’s online bookstore at www.HorseandRiderBooks.com and click on “DVDs” to find our Streaming options (or CLICK HERE). Purchase from our site via our video streaming partner VHX.tv, a division of Vimeo, means you will own the streaming rights to your program of choice and can view it whenever you wish—on your smart TV, computer, tablet, or smartphone. VHX/Vimeo provides specific instructions (as easy as a click on a link or the download of a free app) on how to set up to watch on any device, as well as excellent support when customers have questions.

TSB is leading off its streaming offerings with the following bestselling equestrian videos:

fab interview with janet foy!

did you know?

Trafalgar Square Books' first horse book was CENTERED RIDING, which we published in 1985 and remains one of the bestselling horse books of all time. Author Sally Swift went on to found the now worldwide organization and form of learning and teaching riding known as "Centered Riding."

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Click the image above to read the fab review of WORLD-CLASS GROOMING FOR HORSES on Eventing Nation.

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are you guilty of a deadly sin of dressage?

Click the image above to find out if you are guilty of one of the Seven Deadly Sins of Dressage!

doug payne feature article!

Check out the feature about Doug Payne and his new book THE RIDING HORSE REPAIR MANUAL by Nancy Jaffer on NJ.com! Click the image of Doug and his horsey family above to read the article.

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Click the image above to view a First Snow Short Story from Trafalgar Square Books.

american cowboy editor’s pick

"Being able to watch Sean employ his training methods is incredibly beneficial—you'll see how your cues should look and how to identify and read your horse's response...The four-disc DVD set, with nearly seven hours of footage, is a must for do-it-yourself horse trainers." --Lauren Feldman American Cowboy, Associate Editor

great story about centered riding!

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TSB author Dr. Renee Tucker talks about easy Body Checkups YOU can do from her book WHERE DOES MY HORSE HURT? Click the image above to listen!

did you know? equestrian trivia

Beezie Madden was the first woman and first American rider to reach the Top Three in the Show Jumping World Ranking List, which she did in 2004. Get her tips for "making it" in the horse world, plus advice from 22 other top riders, in HOW GOOD RIDERS GET GOOD by Denny Emerson.

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"This ode to the range emphasizes the enduring allure of the American West." —Kirkus Reviews

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Click to watch Templeton Thompson's "When I Get That Pony Rode" music video.

get started in western dressage

Great exercises from Lynn Palm to get your horse forward, straight, and balanced as you pursue this hot new sport!

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“I’ve spent time with this book and find it very correct. Author Susan Tinder did an excellent job putting together a useful collection of courses.”

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Click to order the 7 Clinics with Buck Brannaman DVD series.

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"This book will help you unravel your equine athlete's personality and needs, so you can evaluate your horse's 'emotional conformation,' which the author Kerry Thomas calls the real indicator of a horse's ability...no question as to why his work has been called 'groundbreaking.'" -John Strassburger, Performance Editor, Horse Journal

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"With a myriad of horse facts written into the story, adolescent readers will find this book not only entertaining but educational as well." -Equine Journal

author spotlight

Click to read about renowned horse trainer and behaviorist Linda Tellington-Jones and her newest book!

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"This book has changed the way I will communicate with horses for the rest of my life. The fact that I got IMMEDIATE results means so much to me and the horses. I don't think I will ever ride in fear again. Amen!" --Carla from Florida

author trivia

Sgt. Rick Pelicano, author of the bestselling books BOMBPROOF YOUR HORSE and BETTER THAN BOMBPROOF, enjoys participating in the sport of mounted jousting in his spare time.

anne kursinski on unbridled tv

Click the image to see Anne Kursinski, author of ANNE KURSINSKI'S RIDING & JUMPING CLINIC, talk about some of her career highlights and favorite moments competing for the US Equestrian Team.

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We all reinvent ourselves from time to time. In my case, this usually involves hair color and heavy eyeliner. In the case of the Padlock Ranch, all it took was a fab new website to make what was really good look utterly amazing. That’s right…the other day I clicked on over to see what was […]

The Bradford Brinton Memorial & Museum in Big Horn, Wyoming, is celebrating founder Bradford Brinton’s 132nd birthday on June 26, 2012, with free admission all day, and cake and ice cream on the grounds from 2:00 p.m to 4:00 p.m. “Just as Bradford Brinton dreamed of his ranch in the West and made that dream […]